133 133 Believe in yourself
Tan Rou no longer laughed, and her eyes turned serious. She no longer treated Tao Qi like a ten-year-old child and deceived him, instead communicating with him as two equal individuals.
Tan Rou looked into Tao Qi’s eyes gently. “I didn’t bully her. Even if I did, I was only trying to defend myself. I would never take the initiative to bully her.”
Tao Qi frowned, “You mean it was Sister Jingjing who provoked you first?” That’s impossible. Sister Jingjing has the best temper and is also the kindest. She … We used to feed stray cats together when we were young!”
Tan Rou didn’t refute. Tan Jing left a beautiful image in Tao Qi’s heart. If it were suddenly overturned, Tao Qi wouldn’t be able to accept it. At this age, Tao Qi might be easily hurt, so it was understandable that he would subconsciously find an excuse for Tan Jing.
Tan Rou wasn’t in a hurry to talk about what happened at school to convince Tao Qi. Tao Qi’s head must be in a mess right now. He would suspect that she was just adding oil to the fire even if she said those things. The good image of Tan Jing in his heart had not collapsed yet, so he definitely wouldn’t believe her.
Therefore, Tan Rou still smiled slightly. “If that’s the case, you wouldn’t have asked me, right? You’re not sure of the answer as, well. So, you’re hoping to get an answer from me so that you would be more confident, right?”
Tao Qi only had the awareness to recognize it in his heart, but he still didn’t understand Tan Rou’s complicated analysis. He looked at Tan Rou with doubtful eyes, but he still didn’t give up and asked, “Then, are you just pretending to be good to me? Are you doing this to make mom, dad, and brother think that you love me more and that you’re more sensible than Sister Jingjing? Are you using me?”
Tan Rou sighed with some heartache. What kind of nonsense did Tan Jing say to Tao Qi? To make such a pampered little tyrant lose his self-confidence and feel their love for him was merely for show. One could imagine how conflicted and sad he was after hearing this.
Tan Rou wasn’t the kind who liked to boast about her efforts, but to avoid making Tao Qi sad, she patiently explained, “Think about it carefully. From last night until now, did I take care of you in front of mom and dad?”
“They had no idea that I made a special meal for you in the middle of the night. If I wanted to show off in front of them, I wouldn’t have cared about you, or I should have tormented everyone and let them watch me cook for you, right? ”
Tao Qi was deep in thought. Thinking back carefully, he felt that Tan Rou was right. She didn’t deliberately act extra attentively to him in front of her parents and brother. Instead, she was gentler when they were alone.
Tao Qi’s heart inexplicably relaxed a little. Thank God! Thank God for that moment of warmth last night wasn’t just for show. Tao Qi’s heart was finally relieved, and emotions surged in his heart for a moment. His eyes were a little red, but he still stubbornly threatened Tan Rou, “Don’t let me catch you that you’re using me! Otherwise, I will never let you off!”
Tan Rou smiled and touched Tao Qi’s head. “Alright, I know. You don’t have to be afraid. No matter what happens between Tan Jing and me, I will never hurt you. I promise.”
Tao Qi pursed his lips, not wanting to show his sadness, but he still couldn’t hide his inner emotions, especially after Tan Rou touched his head so gently. He revealed a rare tenderness in his heart and lowered his head to Mutter, “What’s wrong with you guys? I’m confused.”
Seeing Tao Qi like this, Tan Rou’s heart ached even more. This kind of change was already heavy for adults like them. Mr. And Mrs. Tao were already hit hard after seeing Tan Jing show her true self, let alone the ten-year-old Tao Qi. It was indeed a little difficult for him to face such choices.
Tan Rou bent down and gently lifted Tao Qi’s head. She looked into the depths of Tao Qi’s eyes calmly. “Tao Qi, remember, I’ll only tell you this once. Don’t be sad, and don’t rush to conclusions. Don’t believe what Tan Jing said, and don’t believe what I said either. Believe in yourself; your heart won’t lie.”
Tao Qi stared into Tan Rou’s eyes in a daze, feeling as if her gaze had fixed him. When he heard Tan Rou say not to believe Sister Jingjing’s words, Tao Qi wanted to refute, but when Tan Rou said not to believe her either, but to believe in his heart, Tao Qi suddenly calmed down. It was as if the haze had been driven away by a beam of light, and he was shocked by what power this woman had.